Jesus: The Altogether Lovely

Text: Song of Solomon 5:10-16

As we approach Jesus in prayer tonight I hope that you see Him as the Bride saw her beloved in Song of Solomon 5:10-16

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I’m not a big fan of preaching the Song of Solomon because I tend to find it difficult.

Sometimes, down right embarrassing with its sexual overtones.

But this is one of the less embarrassing passages — especially if we do what I am doing tonight:

Comparing the bride’s description of her beloved to the Church’s description of Jesus.

The whole of Song of Solomon as it celebrates marriage in all of its glorious facets, reminds us of the picture that marriage is SUPPOSED to show us of the relationship between Jesus and His church.

Ephesians 5:31–32 ESV

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Just as the Bride and the Groom are physically attracted to one another, Jesus and His church are spiritually attracted to each other.

The church doesn’t long for the sensual attraction of Jesus, but rather His spiritual nature.

As the church look at Jesus, they say with the Bride on our text:

Song of Solomon 5:16 (NIV)

.... He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.

Not just my Beloved, but my Friend.

Oh, truly that describes Jesus!

The Bride looks at the Beloved and responds with a complete description

of the Bridegroom’s noble character,

combined with the dignity of His personal beauty

and royal integrity (Song of Solomon 5:10–16).

The figures of speech that are used portray every conceivable capacity of virtue,

from the constancy of love, signified in the dove,

to sufficiency of strength pictured in legs like pillars of alabaster or marble.

The imagery reaches its conclusion with a burst of Holy Spirit-inspired eloquence, born of ecstatic endearment,

“... He is altogether lovely.”

A whole world of wealth is thus packed into four wonderful words.

As we behold Jesus tonight, let’s consider just 5 of the images the Bride uses in her ecstatic description of the Beloved.

HIS HEAD

First the Bride looks at the Beloved’s head and says:

Vs. 11a

We are reminded of the description given of the risen Saviour by John in

Rev. 1:14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow;

As the Bride sees her beloved she sees a Person of inestimable worth.

Gold only begins to describe the worth of that precious head.

The head that once was crowned with thorns Is crowned with glory now;

A dazzling royal diadem adorns The mighty Victor’s brow that sets Him apart from 10,000 others.

In reality there is NONE like our Jesus.

HIS EYES

Vs. 12

This image of Jesus’ eyes is very different from what we see in Rev. 1:14 that tells us His eyes were like a flame of fire.

Here we see eyes that are peaceful like doves.

Eyes that sparkle with light and liveliness.

The whites of His eyes “Washed with milk” portrays the brightness of the whites of his eyes in contrast to his dark pupils.

Pastor and marriage conference speaker Tommy Nelson says this is a reference to his sobriety.

His eyes were not red or bloodshot from a life of debauchery.

His eyes were neither deep-set nor bulging, neither close-set nor broad.

They were perfectly mounted like precious stones, and they adorned his appearance like jewels.

Perhaps this image of Jesus’ eyes gives us a different vantage.

Maybe this is a reference to the weeping of Christ.

The dove is a mournful bird.

Our blessed Redeemer was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

HIS HANDS

And then we see His hands.

Verse 14

When we think about the hands of Jesus we know they must have been muscled and calloused from carpentry work.

He had strong hands.

But they are hands that were pierced for our transgressions.

Now they are scarred hands.

Hands scarred for us.

HIS LEGS

We see His legs.

Vs. 15a

"His legs are as pillars of marble (alabaster)".

There is a reference to the legs of Jesus in John 19:33 "When they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs".

The Saviour’s legs were, in a sense, like marble because the soldiers were not permitted to break them.

This was a direct fulfilment of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:46 "Neither shall ye break a bone thereof".

HIS COUNTENANCE (Appearance)

Vs. 15b

"His countenance is as Lebanon".

Christ is being compared to Mount Lebanon - a place of excellence and great beauty.

As we gaze upon His countenance we see a love that surpasses any we could know on earth.

He look at us with an almost indescribable love.

He is Altogether Lovely (Desirable)

Let us passionately seek this One who is, as we sang a moment ago, altogether lovely.